Brisbane has defeated Sydney after a bizarre delay at Blacktown, 12.9 (81) to 8.8 (56), with the Swans to now sweat on an injury blow to recruit Taylor Adams.
After a power outage and snake appearance delayed the start of the match, the Lions broke the game open in the third quarter before cruising to victory on a sweltering night.
For Adams – the trade recruit from Collingwood – the Swans said he suffered a “mild medial ligament sprain”, which saw him ruled out of the game in the third term.
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Minutes before the match was set to begin, the lights at Blacktown International Sportspark went out, with players and officials bemused and coming from the ground.
“Just spoke to the AFL. They’re unsure what the problem is at this stage so both teams have been asked to go back into the rooms and they’ll let us know in due course what’s going on, when play will resume, if it will resume,” Lions footy boss Danny Daly told Fox Footy.
“We’ll just await their word.”
Adding to the bizarre lead-up to the match, a snake catcher was called out to the dark field to collect a slippery spectator.
The lights eventually began to turn back on, with a start time of 7:40pm set.
Longer breaks between quarters were scrapped as a result.
Dayne Zorko got the Lions off to a flying start, kicking a goal on the run in the first 30 seconds of the match.
It was a very evenly fought contest for much of the remainder of the term, with both sides going goal-for-goal.
The second quarter remained similar to the first, with both sides showing moments of brilliance.
For the Lions, Lincoln McCarthy caught fire and booted a couple of goals, while Isaac Heeney pulled off a good move up forward to deliver a goal.
The Lions gained a slight ascendancy and took an 11-point lead into the main change.
Errol Gulden starred with 14 disposals as he continued to set the stage for another blistering season.
Recruit James Jordon was also impressive, with 15 disposals, while Isaac Heeney was lively once more.
Hugh McCluggage loomed large for the Lions with 20 disposals, five more than anyone else on the ground.
The Lions opened up a healthy buffer in the third quarter, aided in part by a stretch of 10 consecutive clearances.
While the Lions pulled ahead, the Swans suffered a potential injury blow, with Taylor Adams reaching for his left knee after a tackle and walking from the ground.
“I’ve seen Tay disappointed, that’s not disappointed,” Nathan Buckley said in commentary.
“If it was a soft tissue he’d be super frustrated, but it looks like there’s something not right and check it out.”
Adams was ruled out of the remainder of the match shortly after, with the Swans labelling it a “mild medial ligament strain”.
The fourth term was largely a formality, with both sides agreeing to cut the quarter down to 20 minutes with no time on.
THE 3-2-1
3) FEARS FOR STAR SWANS RECRUIT
Given it was an injury blow that ultimately ruled Taylor Adams out of last year’s Grand Final, there would’ve been a stack of nervous Swans fans when the trade recruit clutched at his left knee in the third term.
The good news is the club says it is only a mild medial ligament sprain, with his withdrawal from the game precautionary.
Another bit of good news comes from someone who knows him well, that being former coach Nathan Buckley.
“I’ve seen Tay disappointed, that’s not disappointed,” Nathan Buckley said in commentary.
“If it was a soft tissue he’d be super frustrated, but it looks like there’s something not right and check it out.”
The Swans will be hoping Adams is able to get out on the park and combine well with Grundy, because clearances were again an issue for the side.
It reared its head in the third quarter, with the Lions at one point winning 10 consecutive clearances as they broke the game open.
While a win is always a bonus, the goal is always to avoid injury in pre-season hitouts, so Adams’ future will be front and centre in the days ahead of Opening Round.
2) MCCLUGGAGE’S PRE-SEASON STATEMENT
Hugh McCluggage hasn’t signed beyond 2024 and if his pre-season hitout is any indication he won’t come cheap.
McCluggage has said openly he wants to stay at the Lions, but as a free agent the interest in him will be significant.
About to hit 26 years of age, McCluggage is in his prime and showed no signs of slowing down on Thursday night.
By the full-time siren, McCluggage had amassed an equal game-high 31 disposals to go with a goal, nine score involvements and a goal assist.
“I was probably a little bit sloppy last week just getting back into it. It’s nice to get a little bit of the footy and get some confidence,” McCluggage told Fox Footy after the match.
“I think we did a lot of the right things together as well.”
1) MIXED BAG FOR SWANS’ BIG RECRUITS
The Swans’ big recruits had a night of mixed fortunes.
While there’s been a lot of hype around Brodie Grundy, he struggled to have his usual impact on Thursday night, despite attending over 70 per cent of the centre bounces.
He was well handled by Oscar McInerney on the night, but like most of the Swans will be quietly confident the pre-season hitout isn’t indicative of the season to come.
The better news centred around James Jordon, with the Melbourne recruit racking up an equal game-high 31 disposals as he made the wing his own.
“I think he’s probably flown under the radar a little bit with the other big name recruits that we’ve gotten,” Errol Gulden told Fox Footy post-match.
“He’s been amazing from the moment he stepped in.
“He’s just a really classy player and he adds a lot for us.”
Gulden for his part was also in ominous touch, storming to half-time before slowing down a touch in the second half.
Still, he did more than enough to suggest he’ll be a force in 2024.
Recap Sydney v Brisbane in our blog below! If you can’t see the blog, click here.
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